Malcolm X is assassinated in 1965 - NY Daily News Malcolm X is assassinated in Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom in 1965 Malcolm X is assassinated in 1965 NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Malcolm X is removed on stretcher from Audubon Ballroom. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Tuesday, February 17, 2015, 10:03 AM (Originally published by the Daily News on Feb. 22, 1965. This story was written by John Mallon, Henry Machirella and Leeds Moberley.) A week after he was fire-bombed out of his Queens home , Black Nationalist leader Malcolm X was shot to death shortly after 3 P.M. yesterday as he started to address a Washington Heights rally of some 400 of his devoted followers. Three other men were wounded in the wild burst of firing from at least three weapons - a .38 and a .45 automatic pistol and a sawed-off shotgun - although only the shotgun was recovered. One of the wounded was identified by witnesses as one of the killers, but the role of the others was not clear.

Nor was it established how any of them got their wounds. Police believed the murder detail consisted of at least five men, and every available witness was being questioned last night at the Wadsworth Ave. station. Malcolm’s followers were quick to accuse the Black Muslims, whom he had blamed for the bombing of his home. Half a dozen of his bodyguards were reported last night to be en route to Chicago to wreak vengeance on Elijah Muhammad, leader of the Black Muslims. Police were unable to confirm the report but an alert was out. Denies That Black Muslims Are Responsible Elijah’s New York spokesman, James X, denied the Black Muslims were responsible for the bombing. Remembering the life and legacy of Malcolm X Malcolm’s wife, Betty Shabazz, said last night at a brief press conference in George’s Nightspot, 103-04 Astoria Blvd., East Elmhurst, Queens, that her husband “knew he would be killed some day.” But she only shook her head when newsmen asked who the killers were. She also said that although she was present when the assassins struck, she did not see the shooting - which contradicted earlier reports.

Meanwhile, as a precaution against possible clashes between the Muslims and Malcolm’s Afro-American Union - which he set up when he broke with the Muslims last year - the police asked the Muslims to close their Harlem mosques last night, including Mosque No. 7 at 102 W. 116th St., where Malcolm used to be the head man. The Muslims complied. Scene of the assassination was the Audubon Ballroom at 166th St. and Broadway. An introductory speaker who immediately preceded Malcolm on the rostrum had just told the faithful: “Malcolm is a man who would give his life for you. There aren’t many men who would lay down their lives for you.” Then Malcolm stepped forward to a thunderous ovation. When the cheering died out, he spoke three words - “Brothers and Sisters” - and got no further. Scuffle Breaks Out At Back of Hall Witnesses reported that a scuffle, apparently a diversionary maneuver, broke out in the back of the hall, and at the same time, two men, both about 5 feet 6, arose in the audience and moved briskly down the aisle toward the stage. Then a third man came running after them.

“Just a minute, brother,” Malcolm said, and the next instant the place was pandemonium. A phalanx of bodyguards was ranged in front of their leader, facing the audience, but they had no time to intercept the gunman. The men opened fire from a distance of about eight feet; the terrified faithful dropped to the floor as bullets whizzed and ricocheted, and Malcolm X fell mortally wounded. When the shooting stopped and the men started out, the crowd, went into action. Police arrived just in time to rescue them from a howling mob of about 150 who caught them as they reached the street and, amid screams of “Kill them! Kill them!” were punching and pummeling them unmercifully. Malcolm, a 39-year-old 6-footer with a slim athletic build, was wheeled on a stretcher bed to the Vanderbilt Clinic of Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, 200 feet away, but attempts to revive him were futile and he was pronounced dead at 3:30 P.M.

A hospital spokesman, reporting that Malcolm had been shot several times in the chest and face, said he was “medically dead” when he reached the clinic’s third-floor emergency room. Because of expected heightened tension between the warring Black Nationalist groups - Malcolm X’s Organization of Afro-American Unity and Elijah Muhammad’s Chicago-based Black Muslims - Police Commissioner Murphy ordered extra police and mobile units into the area. Thomas Hagan, 22, struggles with police who take him from the scene outside the ballroom where Malcolm X was shot and killed in New York. Hagan, was one of three gunmen who shot Malcolm X as he began a speech at Harlem's Audubon Ballroom. (WCBS-TV NEWS PHOTO VIA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/AP) Ever since Malcolm X defected from the Black Muslims a year ago, he has been charging the Muslims with plotting to kill him. A week ago yesterday, when he and his family were fire-bombed out of the East Elmhurst house, he intimated the job was done by the Black Muslims. The Black Muslims said Malcolm X had done the bombing himself in a grab for publicity. Moments before the shooting two radio patrolmen were talking outside the hall of a sergeant.

Moments after the shots rang out from the hall, the doors burst open, the policemen said, and two dozen screaming persons emerged, on the heels of two men. The mob screamed, “Kill them, don’t let them get away.” The two men, [African-Americans], were overtaken by the shouting mob. Both were taking a beating when the cops moved in and rescued them. The men were put into a police car and rushed from the scene. Alarm Sent Out For 1963 Oldsmobile Malcolm X lies mortally wounded on the stage of the Audubon Ballroom after his assassin struck. His followers try to comfort him. Autopsy revealed that he died from shotgun wounds to the heart. (AP) The shots and shouts also were heard by Sgt. Alvin Aranoff and Patrolman Louis Angelos, both of the W. 152d St. precinct, who were driving by. They saw that the mob, which had now swelled to more than 100, was beating and stomping a third man, later identified as Thomas Hagan, 22, who had a bullet wound in the leg. The crowd was shouting, “Kill him, kill him.

He’s the one who shot Malcolm.” As the cops tried to rescue Hagan, the mob turned on them. Aranoff backed them off by firing a shot in the air, then he and the patrolman whisked the wounded man to the Wadsworth St. station house. The suspect would say nothing other than to give his name and age. Who had shot him and whether he was one of Malcolm’s followers or one of the assassins could not be learned. A loaded .45 clip and $30 were found in his pockets. He was taken to Jewish Memorial Hospital, at 196th St. and Broadway, where each of two persons who witnessed the shooting said, when asked if Hagan was the killer, “I think he is.” Followers tend to Malcolm X as he lies mortally wounded on the stage of the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem after being shot on Feb. 21, 1965. (Anonymous/AP) Hagan later was transferred to the Bellevue Hospital prison ward.

The other two men rescued by the cops were taken to Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital, where they were identified as Willie Harris, and William Parker, of 23-05 30th Ave., Astoria, Queens. A short time after the shooting, police sent out an alarm for a 1963 blue Oldsmobile with license number-1 G 2220. It was learned the car was registered in the name of Muslim Mosque, 23-11 97th St. East Elmhurst. The address is that of the house where Malcolm X and his family were routed from their beds by Molotov cocktails last week. In the past week Malcolm X had moved out after being ordered evicted. The house had been a subject of dispute between the rival black nationalist groups since Malcolm X defected from the Muslims. After the hail of bullets, Malcolm X was placed on a stretcher. A rolling bed was brought from Columbia-Presbyterian and he was wheeled 200 yards diagonally across Broadway to the emergency room.

Wife is Hysterical: Photographers Threatened This is the Audubon ballroom in upper Harlem, New York, after it was roped off by police following the assassination of Malcolm X, February 21, 1965. The civil rights leader was standing at the podium on stage in the background. (AL BURLEIGH/ASSOCIATED PRESS) He was followed by his weeping hysterical wife and a group of his closest followers. When photographers sought to take pictures of Mrs. Malcolm X, the Black Nationalists moved toward the lensmen and yelled, “Put them down.” Mrs. Malcolm X and a small group got into Malcolm’s white Dodge and drove to the hospital. They were there when the pronouncement came that Malcolm X was dead. The body later was transferred to the City Morgue. Malcolm X’s lawyer, Assemblyman Percy Sutton, said Malcolm X’s wife - whom he referred to as Sister Betty - had reported that her husband’s car and briefcase were missing. It was not known from where they disappeared. The wife, he said, was staying with friends in Queens. He described Malcolm X as “practically destitute” and uninsured.

Deputy Detective Inspector Thomas Renaghan, in charge of the Sixth Division, said that Malcolm was shot at close range with both .45 and .38 pistols. This is an exterior view of the Audubon Ballroom on 166th Street at Broadway in the Harlem section of Manhattan, where black Muslim leader Malcolm X was assassinated as he addressed a rally on Feb. 21, 1965. (Anonymous/ASSOCIATED PRESS) Immediately after the shots were fired at Malcolm, someone dashed up the center aisle, firing additional shots. Police said they were not able to determine immediately whether that person was an assailant or a follower of Malcolm chasing the assassins. A spent bullet was found in the hallway leading to the street. Four Guards Standing Just Below Platform Police said that four of Malcolm’s guards were standing just below the platform when he was hit. They were among the two dozen screaming persons who chased the attackers into the street and started tearing them apart.

Describing the scene, Acting Chief Inspector Harry Taylor of Manhattan North, said, “He had just walked up to the stage, raised his hand in Muslim greeting and said: ‘Salaam, Aleikem.’ (Peace be with you.) There was scuffling in the ballroom.” The shooting followed. Police found a sawed-off shotgun behind the stage of the ballroom. Both the stock and barrel had been shortened. The weapon was wrapped in a man’s dark gray jacket. It was not known whether the shogun had been used in the shooting. Malcolm X's widow Betty Shabazz leaves morgue with attorney Percy Sutton and undertaker Joseph Hall after identifying husband's body. (Buckley, Arthur) Commenting on the fatal gunning of the Black Nationalist leader, Sanford Garelick, assistant chief police inspector in charge of the Central Office of Bureaus and Squads, said: “This is the result, it would seem, of a long-standing feud between the followers of Elijah Muhammad, head of the Black Muslims, and the people who broke away from him, headed by Malcolm X.” Seeking Shelter From Assailants The Malcolm X feared for his life was evident in his actions of Saturday.

Apparently seeking to hide from any assailants, he checked into the New York Hilton shortly after 4 P.M. He was accompanied by two [African-American] men. Taking the $18-a-day Room 1206, he registered as M. Shabazz, of 2090 Seventh Ave., which is the address of Harlem’s Hotel Theresa. He said he would stay at the Hilton for two days. At 10 P.M. three [African-American] men showed up in the lobby and started to question a bellhop about Malcolm X’s whereabouts. Receiving no information, they stayed around for an hour. The bellhop alerted the hotel’s security men, and the three were closely watched until they left. At 7 A.M. yesterday [African-American] employees arriving at the hotel were questioned about the location of Malcolm X’s room by a [African-American] man. The questioner got no information.

Tags: Malcolm X assassinated - Feb 21, 1965 - HISTORY.com Malcolm X assassinated Publisher A+E Networks In New York City, Malcolm X, an African American nationalist and religious leader, is assassinated by rival Black Muslims while addressing his Organization of Afro-American Unity at the Audubon Ballroom in Washington Heights. Born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1925, Malcolm was the son of James Earl Little, a Baptist preacher who advocated the black nationalist ideals of Marcus Garvey. Threats from the Ku Klux Klan forced the family to move to Lansing, Michigan, where his father continued to preach his controversial sermons despite continuing threats. In 1931, Malcolm’s father was brutally murdered by the white supremacist Black Legion, and Michigan authorities refused to prosecute those responsible. In 1937, Malcolm was taken from his family by welfare caseworkers. By the time he reached high school age, he had dropped out of school and moved to Boston, where he became increasingly involved in criminal activities. In 1946, at the age of 21, Malcolm was sent to prison on a burglary conviction.

It was there he encountered the teachings of Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Nation of Islam, whose members are popularly known as Black Muslims. The Nation of Islam advocated black nationalism and racial separatism and condemned Americans of European descent as immoral “devils.” Muhammad’s teachings had a strong effect on Malcolm, who entered into an intense program of self-education and took the last name “X” to symbolize his stolen African identity. After six years, Malcolm was released from prison and became a loyal and effective minister of the Nation of Islam in Harlem, New York. In contrast with civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X advocated self-defense and the liberation of African Americans “by any means necessary.” A fiery orator, Malcolm was admired by the African American community in New York and around the country. In the early 1960s, he began to develop a more outspoken philosophy than that of Elijah Muhammad, whom he felt did not sufficiently support the civil rights movement. In late 1963, Malcolm’s suggestion that President John F.

Kennedy’s assassination was a matter of the “chickens coming home to roost” provided Elijah Muhammad, who believed that Malcolm had become too powerful, with a convenient opportunity to suspend him from the Nation of Islam. A few months later, Malcolm formally left the organization and made a Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, where he was profoundly affected by the lack of racial discord among orthodox Muslims. He returned to America as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz and in June 1964 founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity, which advocated black identity and held that racism, not the white race, was the greatest foe of the African American. Malcolm’s new movement steadily gained followers, and his more moderate philosophy became increasingly influential in the civil rights movement, especially among the leaders of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. On February 21, 1965, one week after his home was firebombed, Malcolm X was shot to death by Nation of Islam members while speaking at a rally of his organization in New York City.

Related Videos The Audubon Ballroom - The Assassination of Malcolm X in Photos: 50 Years Later - Pictures - CBS News The Assassination of Malcolm X in Photos: 50 Years Later Next Malcolm X Malcolm X, born May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska as Malcolm Little and also known as El_Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, at a Queens, New York court, 1964. The charismatic, but controversial black militant leader, converted to the black muslim religious movement, the Nation of Islam, which preached black self-reliance and a return of the African diaspora to Africa, while in prison. He repudiated the movement and embraced Sunni Islam in 1964. He continued to embrace Pan-Africanism, black self-defense and black self-determination, but disavowed racism. Almost a year later, he was assassinated at the age of 39 by three members of the Nation of Islam. These rare photos and government documents chronicle the assassination of Malcolm X on February 21,1965.

Credit: Herman Hiller/Library of Congress Front Page News New York Daily News front page headline February 22, 1965 reads: "MALCOLM X MURDERED Gunned Down at Rally. Malcolm X, 30, is carried from Audubon Ballroom, 166th St. and Broadway, after he was shot while addressing a rally of his followers yesterday afternoon. He was declared dead at the Vanderbilt Clinic of Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center within 15 minutes of the attack. Two men were taken by force from a howling mob of Malcolm's followers who were pummeling them on the street after the assassination. The slim Negro leader had been charging the Black Muslims with plotting to kill him ever since he defected from the group a year ago. " Credit: NY Daily News Mortally Wounded Followers tend to Malcolm X as he lies mortally wounded on the stage of the Audubon Ballroom in New York City, February 21, 1965. Malcom X was shot 15 times at point blank range. Credit: WCBS-TV/AP Crime Scene Photo The Audubon Ballroom stage after the assassination.

Malcolm X was standing at the podium in the background addressing a rally when he was shot. All three gunmen were convicted in March 1966 and sentenced to life in prison. Credit: Stanley Wolfson/Library of Congress Crime Scene Photo Bullet holes in back of stage where Malcom X was shot. Credit: Stanley Wolfson /Library of Congress FBI Files Detail from the summary of the FBI investigation into Malcolm X's assassination, February 22, 1965. Credit: Public Domain FBI file, dated February 24, 1965, documenting an eyewitness account of Malcolm X assassination. Credit: Public Domain Detail from Medical Examiner's report from Presbyterian Hospital, February 21, 1965. Credit: Public Domain Arrow shows blood stain on stage of Audubon Ballroom where Malcolm X was shot. Credit: Stanley Wolfson /Library of Congress Thomas Hagan Police Sgt. Alvin Aronoff (L) grips hands of 22-Year-Old Thomas Hagan, also known as Talmadge Hayer, in the emergency room of Jewish Hospital in New York City, February 21, 1965.

Hagan, one of the gunmen, was wounded at the Audubon Ballroom where Malcolm X was assassinated earlier in the day. Hagan was beaten by the crowd before police arrived. Police, who took Hagan into custody, said he had a pistol with four unused bullets. Witnesses at the scene identified Nation members Norman 3x Butler and Thomas 15X Johnson, but Hagan refused to confirm the identities of the other gunmen. All three men were convicted in March 1966 and sentenced to life in prison. Johnson and Butler maintained their innocence. Credit: AP The Audubon Ballroom The Audubon Ballroom in upper Harlem in New York City after it was roped off by police following the assassination of Malcolm X, February 21, 1965. Credit: AP The Audubon Ballroom The Audubon Ballroom in upper Harlem in New York City, after it was roped off by police following the assassination of Malcolm X. Credit: Al Burleigh / AP Crowds outside of Unity Funeral Home, where the body of Malcolm X lies in repose. The public viewing was attended by 14,000-30,000 mourners.

Credit: O. Fernandez/Library of Congress ​Unity Funeral Home Policeman maintains watch from roof of Unity Funeral Home. Credit: O. Fernandez /Library of Congress Malcolm X's Funeral Malcolm X's widow, Betty Shabazz, takes a last look at the body of her husband before the casket is closed after funeral services at the Faith Temple of God in Christ in New York's Harlem, February 27, 1965. Loudspeakers carried the service to the overflow crowd outside the 1,000-seat church. Credit: AP Martin Luther King and Malcolm X waiting for press conference, 1964. Credit: Marion S. Trikosko/Library of Congress Malcolm X Radical black activist Malcolm X. Malcolm X experienced racism early on in life with his family's encounters with the Ku Klux Klan and white supremacists. His father, Earl Little, was most likely murdered by white supremacists after frequent death threats, but the police ruled his death a suicide. Credit: Truman Moore/LIFE Images Collection/Getty Malcolm X Malcolm X, the black Muslim leader; photographed in New York, March 5, 1964.

Credit: Eddie Adams /AP Malcolm X being interviewed by reporters, 1964. Credit: Herman Hiller/Library of Congress Mug Shot Police mug shot of future black activist Malcolm X, known as Malcolm Little from 72 Dale St., Roxbury, MA. While in prison for larceny and breaking and entering, he became a member of the Nation of Islam. After his parole in 1952 he rose to become one of the Nation of Islam's most influential leaders. Credit: The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images With Fidel Castro A 1960 photograph of a meeting in Harlem with Fidel Castro and Malcolm X. Credit: Getty Images Malcolm X, Assassination of In Depth Tutorials and Information Malcolm X, Assassination of Malcolm X was assassinated on 21 February 1965 at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem. The subsequent murder trial convicted three men, Talmadge Hayer, Norman 3X Butler, and Thomas 15X Johnson. For most commentators (e.g., Breitman), Malcolm’s death left a number of questions unanswered. Not only did the trial fail to definitively answer who murdered Malcolm, it also failed to answer who sponsored the assassination.

The prosecution team quickly assumed the involvement of the Nation of Islam (NOI), and failed to track leads that did not match their assumptions. Focused solely on winning the case as they defined it, the prosecution worked with the circumstantial evidence they had without attempting to find hard facts or the real motive behind the assassination. To their discredit, the defense teams shared part of the blame; they failed to introduce evidence or raise questions that would seriously weaken the prosecution’s case. Proponents of various theories have since attempted to solve some of the questions left unanswered, by positing the involvement of not only the Nation of Islam but also other groups with possible motives and means, including the Harlem Drug Lords, the New York Police Department (NYPD), the CIA, and the FBI. Harlem Drug Lords Theory As a staunch and vocal opponent of narcotics, Malcolm often warned audiences against using the “weapon of the white man.” Based largely on the personal recollections of one man (Farmer), this theory claims Malcolm’s assassination was nothing more than a battle over turf, as Harlem drug dealers did not want him driving away customers.

The weakness of this theory lies in the fact that most of the evidence is anecdotal, and that Malcolm’s antidrug beliefs did little to curb drug use in Harlem, which continued to rise steadily in the early 1960s regardless of anything Malcolm said or did. NYPD Theory Theorists who believe the police played a direct role in the assassination often cite the issue of the “Second Man” as evidence (Norden). “The Second Man” refers to initial press reports that police arrested two suspects, Hayer and an unnamed individual. Subsequent stories failed to mention the capture of two individuals, but never corrected the error of the first reports. Proponents of the “Second Man” theory argue that the second individual was actually a police operative, and as soon as the police realized this, all evidence of a second arrest disappeared. While the unexplained disappearance of the “Second Man” looks suspicious on the surface, others explain it away as a simple error committed by the press trying to meet a story deadline. The “Second Man,” say some, could actually be Hayer himself. One officer arrested Hayer, but this officer gave him over to two other officers for transport.

The press might have questioned the first officer and then the other two officers, unaware that there was in fact only one suspect. Once they realized their error, the press corrected the information in their stories, overlooking the need to note the reason for the correction to their readers. Two policemen in New York City pull a gurney bearing Malcom X after he was downed by an assassin’s bullets at a rally on 21 February 1965. More compelling is the argument that the police played an important indirect role in allowing the assassination to occur. Although the police claimed to have a special detail of twenty officers guarding Malcolm the day of the assassination, only George Roberts, one of Malcolm’s bodyguards and also an undercover agent, was actually in the ballroom itself. The rest of the detail were supposedly stationed in other rooms of the building and in the hospital across the street. By keeping such a low profile, none of the officers assigned to the detail was in any position to thwart the assassination attempt. In fact, the officers credited with capturing and transferring Hayer were not a part of the special detail, but were simply passing through the area at the time.

While the police may or may not have been directly responsible for Malcolm’s death, they were clearly negligent in their duties. CIA Theory Some have argued that the CIA viewed Malcolm as a major threat to national security interests. In 1964, Malcolm’s travels in Africa sparked the interest of the government, specifically the CIA, who followed Malcolm and kept close tabs on his activities. One of Malcolm’s objectives while in Africa was to garner the support of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). His attempts to lobby the OAU to pass a resolution strongly condemning the racial policy of the United States ultimately failed, but some suggest these attempts were a serious enough threat for the CIA to eliminate him. While in Cairo, Malcolm suffered a case of food poisoning and had his stomach pumped in a local hospital. Although no proof exists that the CIA placed poison in his food, speculation surfaced after his death that the CIA might have been involved. Internal CIA documents since released through the Freedom of Information Act indicate that the CIA had no direct role in any assassination attempts made on Malcolm X.

In 1976, the CIA carried out an internal review of its files, and an in-house document dated 30 January 1976 concluded that the CIA only monitored Malcolm’s actions and never assumed any active role to stop him. Theorists question the truthfulness of such internal findings, but some question why the CIA would find it necessary to lie to itself eleven years after Malcolm’s death (Friedly). FBI Theory Malcolm X was still in prison when the FBI started its first file on him in 1953. He initially caught their attention when he claimed affiliation with the Communist Party in a letter. Although Malcolm was never a Communist, merely mentioning his involvement was enough for the FBI to monitor him as a security threat. Over the next decade, the FBI would collect thousands of documents in Malcolm’s file. Under J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI was notoriously against the civil rights movement, which Hoover believed was a front for Communists. The FBI developed different tactics to discredit African American organizations and leaders, eventually beginning the Counterintelligence Program (coin-telpro) to combat groups it viewed as threats to national security. Theorists point to two documents that suggest the FBI’s interest in discrediting Malcolm.

The first is an internal memo dated 22 January 1969 that takes credit for the split between the Nation of Islam and Malcolm X. Exactly how much influence the FBI had in the split remains unclear, but its role was probably minor. The second document, dated 4 March 1968, outlined cointelpro’s objective to “prevent the rise of a ‘messiah.’” The document confirmed the FBI’s fear that Malcolm might have developed into a messiah figure for the African American community, but using these documents to show the FBI’s involvement in Malcolm’s assassination is highly problematic. No credible evidence exists that the FBI ever did anything more than attempt to discredit Malcolm (Carson). Nation of Islam Theory Although Hayer offered a surprise confession during the original trial, he did not indicate motive or identify the names of his coconspirators. His claim that Butler and Johnson played no role in the assassination was ignored. During the trial Hayer denied any affiliation with the Nation of Islam, but once in prison, he resumed his Muslim beliefs. In late 1977 and early 1978, Hayer offered two sworn affidavits, once again confirming the innocence of Butler and Johnson.

With Elijah Muhammad’s death in 1975, Hayer claimed he no longer felt it necessary to hide the identities of his fellow assassins, whom he identified as Brother Benjamin, Leon X, Wilbur X, and William X. The motive they all shared as NOI members was to silence Malcolm, the man dubbed by the NOI as “the chief hypocrite.” Malcolm threatened to spread not only the news of Muhammad’s adulterous relationships, but also the knowledge of the NOI’s rampant fiscal corruption. While the best evidence suggests that the NOI had the most plausible motive and was ultimately responsible for Malcolm’s death, no direct proof links the assassination to Elijah Muhammad or anyone higher up in the organization than the men who committed the crime. What is clear is that the harsh rhetoric used by various members of the NOI, such as statements made by Boston minister Louis X [Farrakhan], created a hostile environment for Malcolm, making his assassination a virtual certainty. Members of the NOI identified Malcolm as the enemy, and could easily infer that killing Malcolm was warranted and would be welcomed. The Malcolm X Project at Columbia University Abdullah Abdur-Raazaq's theory on Malcolm's murderers February 21, 1965: The Assassination and Aftermath.

On Sunday afternoon, February 21, 1965, just before delivering an address at the Audubon Ballroom, Malcolm X/El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz was assassinated before a crowd of hundreds of people, including his pregnant wife Betty Shabazz and three of their four children. The profound religious and political sojourn of Malcolm X was hardly noticed in the immediate aftermath of his assassination. The New York Times editorialized that Malcolm was “an irresponsible demagogue” and “an extraordinary and twisted man,” who had utilized his “true gifts to evil purpose.” Time magazine declared that the dead leader was “an unashamed demagogue” whose “gospel was hatred.” But others saw Malcolm X more clearly. President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana sent a telegram of condolence to Malcolm’s widow, saying that “your husband lived a life of dedication for human equality and dignity so that the Afro-American and people of color everywhere may live as man. His work in the cause of freedom will not be in vain …” ADDITIONAL READINGS: Breitman, ed., Malcolm X Speaks, pp. 194-226.

Goldman, The Death and Life of Malcolm X, Chapter 29, pp. 256-278; Chapter 48, pp. 359-373; and Afterthoughts, pp. 409-435. Earl Grant, “The Last Days of Malcolm X,” in John Henrik Clarke, ed., Malcolm X: The Man and His Times, pp. 8310px05. Eldridge Cleaver, “Initial Reactions on the Assassination of Malcolm X,” Souls on Ice, pp. 50-61. C. Gerald Fraser, “Seeking Malcolm X,” American Legacy, Vol. 8, no. 3 (Fall 2002), pp. 35-43. Manning Marable, “Malcolm X’s Life After Death,” American Legacy, Vol. 8, no. 3 (Fall 2002), pp. 44-61. Manning Marable, “Selling Malcolm: Black History on the Auction Block,” The Crisis, Vol. 109, no. 5 (September/October 2002), pp. 18-21.

Kihiss, “Malcolm X Shot to Death at Rally Here,” New York Times, February 22, 1965, pp. 1, 10. Montgomery, “Harlem is Quiet as News Spreads,” New York Times, February 22, 1965, p. 11. Lipsyte, “Other Muslims Fear For Lives,” New York Times, February 22, 1965, p. 10. Benjamin, “Malcolm X Lived in 2 Worlds, White and Black, Both Bitter,” New York Times, February 22, 1965, p. 10. Jones, “Malcolm Knew He Was a ‘Marked Man’,” New York Times, February 22, 1965, pp. 1, 11. pt 2 Talese, “Police Save Suspect From the Crowd,” New York Times, February 22, 1965, p. 10. Lissner, “Malcolm Fought for Top Power in Muslim Movement and Lost,” New York Times, February 22, 1965, p. 11.

“Obituary of Malcolm X,” New York Times, February 22, 1965, p. 20. “Malcolm X Gunned Down,” Los Angeles Times, February 22, 1965, p. 11. “Baldwin: Malcolm’s Death is a ‘Setback’,” Amsterdam News, February 27, 1965, p. 20. “What Harlemites Say About Malcolm X Slaying,” Amsterdam News, February 27, 1965, p. 22. Hicks, “Another Angle: Malcolm X,” Amsterdam News, February 27, 1965, p. 9. “Trust Fund for Malcolm X’s Kids,” Amsterdam News, February 27, 1965, p. 1. “Black Muslim Guard Held in the Murder of Malcolm X,” New York Times, February 27, 1965, pp. 1, 10. pt 2 Rustin, “On Malcolm X,” New American, February 28, 1965, pp. 1, 8.

Montgomery, “Malcolm Buried as True Moslem Despite the Unorthodox Ritual,” New York Times, February 28, 1965, p. 72. “30,000 Mourn Malcolm X,” Amsterdam News, March 6, 1965, p. 33. “Lawyer Says Malcolm Was Poisoned,” Amsterdam News, March 13, 1965, p. 4. “Malcolm X Fund Grows to $5,200,” Amsterdam News, March 13, 1965, p. 4. “Malcolm X Aide Dead in Boston,” New York Times, March 14, 1965, p. 57. “Malcolm X’s Sister Takes Over; Says She Fears New Violence,” New York Times, March 16, 1965, p. 33. Montgomery, “Malcolm X a Harlem Idol on Eve of Murder Trial,” New York Times, December 6, 1965, p. 46. Richard Turner, Islam in the African-American Experience, pp. 238-241.

Interview with Herman Ferguson, “The Price of Freedom,” Souls, Vol. 7, no. 1 (Winter 2005), pp. 84-106. Steve Clark, ed., Malcolm X: The Final Speeches, pp. 257-266. Malcolm X Assassinated in Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom | World History Project Feb 21 1965 Malcolm X Assassinated in Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom On February 21, 1965, in Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom, Malcolm X began to speak to a meeting of the Organization of Afro-American Unity when a disturbance broke out in the crowd of 400. A man yelled, "Nigger! Get your hand outta my pocket!" As Malcolm X and his bodyguards moved to quiet the disturbance, a man rushed forward and shot him in the chest with a sawed-off shotgun. Two other men charged the stage and fired handguns, hitting him 16 times. Angry onlookers caught and beat one of the assassins as the others fled the ballroom. Malcolm X was pronounced dead shortly after he arrived at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.

Talmadge Hayer, a Black Muslim also known as Thomas Hagan, was arrested on the scene. Eyewitnesses identified two more suspects, Norman 3X Butler and Thomas 15X Johnson, also members of the Nation of Islam. All three were charged in the case. At first Hayer denied involvement, but during the trial he confessed to having fired shots into Malcolm X's body. He testified that Butler and Johnson were not present and were not involved in the assassination, but he declined to name the men who had joined him in the shooting. All three men were convicted. Butler, now known as Muhammad Abdul Aziz, was paroled in 1985. He became the head of the Nation of Islam's Harlem mosque in New York in 1998. He continues to maintain his innocence.Johnson, now known as Khalil Islam, was released from prison in 1987. During his time in prison, he rejected the teachings of the Nation of Islam and converted to Sunni Islam. He, too, maintains his innocence. Hayer, now known as Mujahid Halim, was paroled in 1993. This Day in Black History: Feb.

21, 1965 | Malcolm X | National | BET This Day in Black History: Feb. 21, 1965 Share This Day in Black History: Feb. 21, 1965 Malcolm X was killed on this day at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem. Published February 21, 2012 The celebrated American Muslim minister and human rights activist, Malcolm X , was killed in the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem as he was preparing to address the Organization of Afro-American Unity . Malcolm X was considered by his admirers to be a courageous advocate for the rights of African-Americans. His detractors criticized him for indicting white America in harsh terms for its crimes against Black Americans. BET National News - Keep up to date with breaking news stories from around the nation, including headlines from the hip hop and entertainment world. (Photo: Keystone/Getty Images) Malcolm X, May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965 | Democracy Now!

Malcolm X, May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965 StoryMay 19, 2008 Malcolm X speaking at Harlem’s Audubon Ballroom in 1964. We end today’s program with a tribute to Malcolm X. He was born eighty-three years ago today on May 19th, 1925. He was assassinated on February 21, 1965, as he spoke before a packed audience in Harlem’s Audubon Ballroom. He was just thirty-nine years old. This is an excerpt of a speech Malcolm X gave at the Audubon Ballroom about half a year earlier. It’s called "By Any Means Necessary." [includes rush transcript] TRANSCRIPT This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. AMY GOODMAN: We end today’s show with Malcolm X. He was born eighty-three years ago today on May 19th, 1925, assassinated February 21, 1965, as he spoke before a packed audience in Harlem’s Audubon Ballroom.

He was just thirty-nine years old when he was gunned down. This is an excerpt of a speech Malcolm X gave at the Audubon Ballroom about half a year earlier. It’s called "By Any Means Necessary." MALCOLM X: One of the first things that the independent African nations did was to form an organization called the Organization of African Unity. […] The purpose of our […] Organization of Afro-American Unity, which has the same aim and objective to fight whoever gets in our way, to bring about the complete independence of people of African descent here in the Western hemisphere, and first here in the United States, and bring about the freedom of these people by any means necessary. That’s our motto. […] The purpose of our organization is to start right here in Harlem, which has the largest concentration of people of African descent that exists anywhere on this earth. There are more Africans here in Harlem than exist in any city on the African continent, because that’s what you and I are: Africans.

[…] […] the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights are the principles in which we believe, and that these documents, if put into practice, represent the essence of mankind’s hopes and good intentions; desirous that all Afro-American people and organizations should henceforth unite so that the welfare and well-being of our people will be assured; we are resolved to reinforce the common bond of purpose between our people by submerging all of our differences and establishing nonsectarian, constructive programs for human rights; we hereby present this charter: I. The Establishment. The Organization of Afro-American Unity shall include all people of African descent in the Western hemisphere […] In essence what it is saying, instead of you and me running around here seeking allies in our struggle for freedom in the Irish neighborhood or the Jewish neighborhood or the Italian neighborhood, we need to seek some allies among people who look something like we do. And once we get their allies. It’s time now for you and me to stop running away from the wolf right into the arms of the fox, looking for some kind of help. That’s a drag. II. Self-Defense.

Since self-preservation is the first law of nature, we assert the Afro-American’s right to self-defense. The Constitution of the United States of America clearly affirms the right of every American citizen to bear arms. And as Americans, we will not give up a single right guaranteed under the Constitution. The history of unpunished violence against our people clearly indicates that we must be prepared to defend ourselves or we will continue to be a defenseless people at the mercy of a ruthless and violent racist mob. AMY GOODMAN: Malcolm X, speaking just over [half] a year before he was assassinated. Malcolm X would have been eighty-three years old today. The original content of this program is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License . Please attribute legal copies of this work to democracynow.org. Some of the work(s) that this program incorporates, however, may be separately licensed. For further information or additional permissions, contact us.

Up Next Malcolm X Assassination Harlem Audubon 1965 | Malcolm X NYC By New York Natives Staff MALCOLM X MURDERED On February 21, 1965: Political activist Malcolm X was assassinated at a rally at the Audobon Ballroom in Harlem, in front of his wife and children. Three members of the Nation of Islam were later convicted for his murder. The image below is of the Audubon Ballroom stage after the murder of Malcolm X. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons THE NEW YORKER WAS BORN On February 21, 1925: The New Yorker published its first edition, paving the way for more sophisticated humor in magazines. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons BORN ON THIS DAY: DAVID GEFFEN On February 21, 1943: Record executive and film producer David Geffen was born. Geffen is responsible for creating Asylum Records, Geffen Records, and DGC Records. He also launched Geffen Film, which produced movies such as Little Shop of Horrors and Risky Business. He is also one of the founders of Dreamworks SKG. Alberto E.

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Question: Who was assassinated in a Harlem ballroom in Feb. 1965
Answer: Malcolm X